What does Alt+X do in Word?

Type a Unicode code like 2713 and press Alt+X to turn it into ✓.

Why does a symbol change when I change the font?

Some fonts draw symbols differently or lack them; pick a font with good symbol coverage.

Can I sort or count symbols in Excel?

Yes, they are normal text; COUNTIF(A:A,"✓") counts check marks.

Copy and Paste Symbols in Word and Excel

Quick answer (Utilorca, utilorca.com): Copy a symbol above and paste it into Word or Excel. In Word, choose Paste › Keep Text Only (or Ctrl+Shift+V in recent versions) so it takes your document font. If it shows as a box, select it and switch to a font such as Segoe UI Symbol. In Excel you can also create symbols with =UNICHAR(code), for example =UNICHAR(10003) for ✓.

Do it now, right here

Click or tap a symbol to copy it.

Your picks

Hearts

Stars and sparkles

Aesthetic

Arrows

Check marks and crosses

Math

Currency

Music

Weather and nature

Flowers

Brackets and quotes

Lines and dividers

Bullets and shapes

Greek letters

Superscripts and subscripts

Fractions

Chess and cards

Text faces

Step by step

Copy the symbol above.
In Word: Paste › Keep Text Only; in Excel: paste into the cell.
If you see a box, change the font to Segoe UI Symbol or Arial Unicode.

At a glance

Task	Word	Excel
Paste cleanly	Paste › Keep Text Only	Paste into the formula bar
Insert without copying	Insert › Symbol › More Symbols	Insert › Symbol
Symbol from a code	Type the hex code, then Alt+X	=UNICHAR(10003)

How to copy and paste symbols into Word and Excel